Brief bag closure means



April 11, 1950 s. KLEHR BRIEF BAG CLOSURE MEANS Filed March 21, 1949 R mR .N H E L WK L E M A 5 A TTOIZNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES v, PATENT OFFICE 2,503,746 BRIEF BAG CLOSURE MEANS Samuel Klehr, Newark, N. J. Y I I Application March 21,1949, Serial No. 82,619

4 Claims. (01. 150-15) The present invention deals with brief bags and more particularly with brief bags constructed for-the utilization of slide'fastener means.

In the manufacture of brief bags, hand bags and the like, it is a general practice to employ slide fasteners of known construction as closing and opening means. The fasteners may be stitched or otherwise secured to the article, e. g. brief bag, in the usual manner either, longitudinally along an uppermost portion, i. e. the top portion, or along the top portion and extending downwardly therefrom'on one or both sides for a distance depending upon the degree of opening desired. It is not particularly desirable to secure the fasteners along the top and completely down both sides because of the inconvenience encountered in opening and closing the bag. It is also disadvantageous to secure the slide fastener only to a top portion because the opening thereby provided is not large enough to conveniently insert or remove the contents of the bag. Therefore, it has been the general practice to secure slide fasteners along the top portion and extending partially down both sides. Various constructions in accordance with the latter practice have been proposed and utilized. Such construction is particularly applicable in the case ofhand bags, or articles of luggage having substantial width'and capacity, because the openingthereby provided is generally comparable with the width of the bag. In such case the opening is satisfactory. However, in the case of a brief bag, which may be differentiated from a hand bag in that the brief bag is necessarily of more limited capacity andof less width, e. g. a width which gives the bag a substantially flat appearance, such construction offers disadvantages which would not be applicable to hand bags of greater width. Accordingly, an opening in a brief bag comparable to its width is not sufficient for the convenient insertion or removal of contents. There is'a tendency, therefore, to force the opening to its fullest extent and thereby exert a strain upon the slide fastener extremities or terminals. This strain upon the slide fastener terminals is detrimental in that the slide fastener thereby becomes damaged and inoperative. Furthermore, the gusset construction of the conventional brief bag is such that the opening of the bag is limited by the distance that the slide fastener extends down the sides of the bag. In order to provide a wider opening, it is customary to extend the slide fastener or zipper for a greater distance along the sides. However, this adds to the inconvenience in opening and closing the brief bag 2 whereby slide fastener terminals are rendered free of strain. It is a further object of this in-. vention to increase the opening of a brief bag without further extending the slide fastener down the sides of the bag. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a brief bag gusset ,adapted to provide an opening greater than the width of the bag. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawings, forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brief bag according to this invention,

Figure 2 illustrates a lay-out view of the gusset, and v Figure 3 illustrates an enlarged view of a susset portion.

According'to the present invention, the brief bag comprises a gusset construction which allows a slide fastener to be secured to the brief bag along the top portion thereof and partially down both sides. However, the particular construction of the gusset is such that there is no strain exerted upon the slide fastener terminals even when the bag is opened to its fullest extent. Elimination of such strain prolongs the life of the slide fastener. Moreover, the gusset construction not only safeguards the slide fastener but also provides an opening greater than has been heretofore possible without further extending the fastener along the sides of the brief bag. Such advantage is particularly desirable in that the brief bag is not only more conveniently opened and closed, but the contents of the bag are more safely contained therein due to the retention of the depth of the bag, i. e. the gusset portions of the brief bag which comprise two sides are maintained as high as possible so that the contents of the bag are protected against accidental dislodgement from the bag when the bag is opened.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the brief bag of this'invention showing two sides I and 2, handles 3 and gusset 4. The handles may be either fixed in carrying position or may be adapted for slideable recession into the apertures 5 for underarm carriage if desirable. The gusset 4 is preferably recessed between the sides I and 2 along the perimeters thereof so that it may be protected against wear, etc., by the sides I and 2, which may comprise a material of sub stantial stiffness in combination with suitable resiliency, e. g. leather of appropriate thickness, Slide fastener 6 extends downwardly and in-' wardly alongthe gusset 4 so that the terminal I is substantially inward of the edges 8 and 9 of sides I and 2 respectively. The downward and inward extension of the slide fastener 6 is provided for by the construction of the gusset which is more particularly described hereinafter.

Figure 2 illustrates a lay-out view of the entire gusset of this invention. The gusset t is preferably made in three sections. One section comprises the bottom portion iii and the sides 2 l and 12, while the other two sections comprise two strips 13 and is which are joined at $5 and i5 and I! and 58 respectively to form the complete gusset in the manner shown by Figure l, The broken lines i9 and 28 indicate folds in the gusset which secure inside partitions of the brief bag in the manner shown by Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates an enlarged view of one portion of the gusset, e. g. side H of the gusset, with a slide fastener 6 secured thereto. 'The gusset is cut or formed into a specific shape which allows opening of the'brief bag to'its fullest extent without exerting a strain upon the slide fastener terminal. The cut or-sha-pe of the gusset portion ii along which the slide fastener is secured, is such that it comprises a variably Converging bilaterally symmetrical contour. There are two distinct'bilaterally symmetrical stages and preferably three such contour stages. One contour stage M of the cut comprises an upper-portion of a normal V-shaped contour, while a second lower stage 22 of the cut deviates therefrom and curves inwardly and downwardly so that both sides of the cut converge at a point substantially above the apex of a normal vshaped contour. This construction or out of the gusset offers at least two advantages. One advantage is that the slide fastener extends a min imum distance along the gusset portion I to provide convenience in opening and closingthe bag and at the same time provide an opening greater than is possible with a normal V-shaped cut of comparable dimensions. For example, when the bag is opened to its fullest extent, the stage or portion 2! of the cut bends outwardly to provide the large opening. Another advantage is that the stage or portion 22 of the cut, which-is slack in the normal closed position of the'bag, becomes only slightly taut when the bag is opened to its fullest extent because of the curved contour thereof, and therebyreduces or eliminates any possib e strain on the fastener terminal 1. Still another contour stage 23 of the cut is provided to further take up any tension on the terminal '5 should the bag opening be forced beyond a normal maximum opening. This third stage 23 is a continuation of the stage 22 into a rounded junction of the two bilaterally symmetrical sides of the cut and may be substantially U-shaped. In the closed position of the bag, the downward and inward extension of the slide fastener 6, as illustrated by Figure 1 is provided'for by the fact that when the-portions 2! of the cut meet, the portions 22 and 23 of the cut becomes slack and dispose themselves inwardly of edges 8 and 9 of the sides I and 2. Upon the opening of the bag, the portions 22 and 23 of the cut move outwardly or in the direction of the edges 8' and 9.

The broken lines Ia and 2a indicate the ap proximate positions of sides l and 2 respectively and the broken lines ZiA indicate the approximate positions of the portions 2! of the out when the bag is opened to its fullest extent. Since the sides I and 2 are preferably composed of a stiif but resilient material, any opening of the bag beyond its width, i. 8..131'16 width of the. gusset portion U, will cause the bottom of sides ,I and 2 to move inwardly toward each other. Therefore.

inner partitions secured by the folds l9 and 2' (shown in Figure 1) will automatically become fully extended or opened upon opening of the briefbag and thereby allownonvenient insertion of contents 7 into said partitions.

Therefore, the invention, as hereinbefore described, provides improvements in brief bags whereby such brief bags are more conveniently opened and closed and the slide fastener means are safeguarded against damage, etc., by a gusset construction having a bilaterally symmetrical cut of variable convergence along which out said slide fastener means are secured.

What I claim is:

1. A brief bag adapted to be opened and closed by slide fastener meansycomprising a gusset having a bilaterally symmetrical out of varyingconergence along which said slide fastener means are seciu'ed said cut'having at least two-contour stages of which one stage comprises an 'upper portion of a i -shaped contour an'd'at least 'a lower second stage which curves inwardly and downwardly therefrom.

2. Atbrief bag adapted to be opened and'closed by'slide fastener means, comprising agusset'having a bilaterally symmetrical cut of varying convergence along which said slide fastener means are secured, said out having three contour stages of which one stage comprises an upper portion of a V-shaped contouna lower second stage which curves inwardly and downwardly therefrom to a. substantially U shaped third stage'which terminates said bil-aterallylsymmetrical cut.

3. A brief bag'adapted to be opened'and closed by slide fastener means, comprising in combination two sides composed of a material of substantial stiffness and suitable resiliency, a gusset having a bilaterally symmetrical cut of varying convergence along whichsaid slide fastener means are secured, said out having three contour stages of which one stage comprises an upper portionof a \l-shaped contour, a lowersecond stage'which curves inwardly and downwardly therefrom toa substantially U -shaped third stage which terminates said bilaterallysymmetrical-out.

a. A brief bag adapted to be opened and'closed by slide fastener means, comprising in :combination twosides composed of a material'of substantial stiffness and suitable resiliency, a gusset having a bottom portion and two side portions formed from a single section and a top portion formed from two strips joined to said side portions, the side portions of said gusset having ;a bilaterally symmetrical out of varying convergence along which .said slide fastener means are secured, said out having threecontour stages of which .one stagecomprises an upper portion :of a V-shaped contour, a lowersecond stage which curves inwardly and downwardly therefrom to :a substantially U-shaped third stage which terminates said bilaterally symmetrical cut.

SAMUEL KLEHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

